Free Republic

Payments to Social Security recipients may increase a bit more than expected in 2024, but an advocacy group says they'll still fall short of what retirees need. The Senior Citizens League said Wednesday that the Social Security cost of living adjustment, or COLA, will likely be 3.2% for 2024. That would add about $57 to monthly benefits, raising them to $1,790 for the average recipient, according to the group's estimates. The cost of living adjustment is calculated based on an average of the inflation readings for the months of July, August and September. Specifically, it's based on the Consumer Price...

Caleb White, an Alabama high school basketball star, has died after he reportedly collapsed during a workout at school. The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at a local hospital Thursday, according to multiple reports. White was a three-star prospect and averaged 20.9 points, 3.1 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game. The cause of death is currently unknown, however AL.com reports an autopsy will be performed Friday to determine it. White was said to have collapsed during a workout with his team at Pinson Valley High School Thursday before he was taken to St. Vincent's East hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. His grandfather...

When New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy left the state to vacation in Europe on July 28, Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver took over his role as acting governor. Days later, on Tuesday, Oliver's family released a statement she had died. "It is with incredible sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of the Honorable Sheila Y. Oliver, Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey," her family said in a release. "She was not only a distinguished public servant but also our cherished daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and hero." In a statement, the governor said choosing her as...

Katie Britt said she went to the hospital after experiencing a 'sudden onset of numbness' in her face.. Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt announced Monday that she is recovering in outpatient care following a hospital visit for a sudden medical scare. Britt, 41, said she was spending time with her family in Montgomery, Alabama, over the weekend when she experienced a "sudden onset of numbness" in her face. "While with my family in Montgomery this past weekend, I experienced a sudden onset of numbness in my face. I was admitted to Baptist Medical Center South for evaluation," she said in...

The singer Tori Kelly has been rushed to the hospital after shockingly collapsing while out on the town. The 30-year-old Grammy winner was reportedly dining out with friends in Los Angeles on Sunday night when she suffered a medical emergency and lost conscious, sources told TMZ. She was quickly taken to get medical care, and doctors are reportedly treating her for multiple blood clots around vital organs, which could be extremely serious.

The Browns placed veteran receiver Marquise Goodwin on the non-football illness list Friday, and now we know why. Blood clots in his lungs and legs will force Goodwin to miss the start of training camp, the team announced. Goodwin, who is entering his 10th season, began experiencing discomfort in his legs and complained of shortness of breath during organized team activities this spring. A check-up revealed the clots. “It was really alarming at first because I’ve experienced injury throughout my career, but it’s never been anything like this that could turn into something detrimental if it’s not taken care of,”...

Kayla Rooney passed away unexpectedly, her club, St Brigid's LGFCC New York, based in the Bronx, confirmed A young sportswoman who played GAA and Camogie in New York has died suddenly. Kayla Rooney, who played for the U17s, passed away unexpectedly, St Brigid's Ladies Gaelic Football and Camogie Club announced this morning. The teenager is survived by her parents, Michael and Siobhán, brother Jack, and sister Sarah, who, along with her sibling, have been members of St Brigid's, located in the Bronx, since they were young girls. Kayla's age and cause of death are not known at this time. Following...

Finnish author Miki Liukkonen, considered one of the brightest stars of Finland's literary scene, has died aged 33, his publisher said Wednesday. In a statement, his publisher WSOY did not specify a cause of death. Contacted by AFP, the publisher said it had no more details to share for the time being, adding that the writer's family "requests privacy". Despite his young age, Liukkonen had already produced three poetry collections, a picture book for adults, and five novels. His works have garnered critical praise and received several awards and nominations.

Madonna has been rushed to a New York City hospital after being found unresponsive, Page Six has exclusively revealed. The pop icon, 64, was discovered at a residence on Saturday before being admitted to the ICU where she was intubated overnight. Madonna’s longtime manager, Guy Oseary, shared on Instagram Wednesday that his client had “developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU.” The “Vogue” crooner is now out of the intensive care unit and recovering in a regular ward of the unidentified hospital.

(RTTNews) - The Commerce Department released a report on Tuesday unexpectedly showing a sharp increase in new home sales in the U.S. in the month of May. The report said new home sales soared 12.2 percent to an annual rate of 763,000 in May after surging 3.5 percent to a revised rate of 680,000 in April. Economists had expected new home sales to slump 1.2 percent to an annual rate of 675,000 from the 683,000 originally reported for the previous month. With the unexpected spike, new home sales reached their highest level since hitting a rate of 773,000 in February...

Karolis Chvedukas, a Lithuanian soccer player who played for multiple clubs, died at age 32. The Lithuanian Football Association confirmed Monday that Chvedukas passed unexpectedly of unspecified causes. "The Lithuanian Football Federation, on behalf of the entire community, expresses its deepest condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased in this difficult hour," they said in a statement.

Horrific health details have been revealed regarding Jamie Foxx’s mysterious medical state. The Django Unchained star is said to be "partially paralyzed and blind," in addition to a series of other complications after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, Hollywood journalist A.J. Benza claimed after speaking to a source close to Foxx.

The U.S. added 339,000 jobs in May and the unemployment rate rose to 3.7 percent, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. The job market scrambled the expectations of economists in May. Expert forecasters projected a gain of roughly 195,000 jobs last month, according to consensus estimates, but for the jobless rate to stay largely even at 3.5 percent. The jobless rate has bounced between 3.4 percent — its level in April — and 3.7 percent since March 2022. The Labor Department also revised March and April’s job gains up by a combined 93,000 jobs, the latest sign...

A gauge of consumer prices closely watched by the Federal Reserve showed inflation accelerating in April. The personal consumption expenditure (PCE) price index rose 0.4 percent in April, up from the 0.1 percent rise a month earlier. Economists had forecast a milder increase to 0.3 percent. Compared with April of last year, the PCE price index is up 4,4 percent, a faster annual pace of inflation than the 4.2 percent recorded in March. Core PCE prices, a gauge that excludes the volatile categories of food and energy, also rose by 0.4 percent. Many economists look to core prices as a...

Medical personnel were rushed into the East Room of the White House on Friday when a member of collegiate championship-winning Louisiana State University women's basketball team fainted at an event to honor the team. Joe Biden called for year-round support for women's sports when the player, who was standing in the risers behind the podium, slunk downward and was helped off the stage. ... Coach Kim Mulkey said that the player, freshman Sa’Myah Smith, was okay as personnel wheeled her out. ... The event marked a thawing of earlier tensions between the team and the administration, after first lady Jill...

Russian authorities have ordered residents of nine villages in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine to evacuate their homes after anti-Putin rebel groups began capturing territory on Russian soil. The Kremlin's order comes hours after a pair of explosions rang out in the city of Belgorod overnight amid drone attacks on the FSB security service building and Interior Ministry offices. Regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed the aerial bombing raid had caused fires at government buildings and urged citizens to take shelter amid the rebel attacks. Ukrainian military intelligence said two armed Russian opposition groups, the Freedom of Russia Legion and the...

BUENOS AIRES, May 12 (Reuters) - Argentina's annual inflation rate soared to 109% in April, the country's statistics agency said on Friday, smashing past analyst forecasts and stoking anger among hard-hit consumers who are increasingly having to skimp and save to get by. The price spike has pushed one in four people into poverty in a country that has battled for decades with high inflation, along with cyclical debt and currency crises. Dwindling central bank reserves are now imperiling the government's finances. "They've turned us into a country of beggars," Carlos Andrada, a 60-year-old self-employed worker, told Reuters as he...

The star had to be resuscitated on the set of Back in Action, after having a cardiovascular accident related to a blood clot in the brain. The last thing the doctors said is that he is really lucky to be alive.

A distraught Philadelphia family is living a “nightmare” after their 16-year-old son died within 24 hours of being diagnosed with leukemia. Kyle Limper died peacefully on April 13 from a blood infection caused by the cancer that was discovered that same day, according to his obituary and a report. “Before April 13th, he was a completely healthy and happy young man with no sign of illness,” his obituary states. “It just came and took him in the same day.” His father, Ken Limper, told Fox 29 that he initially brought his son to urgent care for back pain after Kyle...

A young pilot who died unexpectedly last week marks the third pilot fatality in a month, alongside six in-flight pilot casualties since the beginning of March. There has not yet been a cause of death released for Phil Thomas, a graduate of the FTEJerez pilot academy in Spain, who died suddenly last week. “We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of our dear student from Course 77, Phil Thomas,” FTEJerez wrote in a social media post on April 10th. “His sudden death has come as a shock to us all. We would like to extend our...